Celtic 5-0 Ross County: Brendan Rodgers' side blow Staggies away ...

Celtic blew Ross County away with five first-half goals to strengthen their hold at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Brendan Rodgers made six changes from their Champions League draw in midweek and the incoming players made their case for regular starts.

Liam Scales kick-started the scoring spree after 10 minutes when he headed in from Luke McCowan's corner before setting the midfielder to double the lead soon after.

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Paulo Bernardo smashed the third into the far corner before another stunning strike from captain Callum McGregor made it four. Adam Idah rifled in for 5-0 before half-time.

The Hoops, who move five points clear of Aberdeen ahead of their game on Sunday, had chances to extend their lead while the Staggies failed to trouble Kasper Schmeichel at the other end and sit eighth in the table.

Celtic unstoppable

Celtic could bolster their title bid further when they travel to Aberdeen on Wednesday night, live on Sky Sports, and on this form they will take some stopping.

Given the Hoops' exhausting fixture list, there was no surprise Rodgers rotated his squad.

Scales and Alex Valle came into defence, McCowan and Bernardo returned to midfield with striker Idah and winger James Forrest also starting.

It was always going to be a tough afternoon for Don Cowie's side, who showed two changes to the team that began last Saturday's win over Motherwell.

The almost inevitable opener arrived in the 10th minute when Republic of Ireland international Scales leapt high inside the County penalty area to bullet a header in off the bar from a McCowan corner for his third goal of the season.

County's response was limited although in the 25th minute some casual Celtic defending, where McGregor eventually lost possession, allowed the visitors a chance just inside the box but Telfer blazed his shot high over the bar.

Moments later, the Dingwall side found themselves two behind.

McCowan controlled a long pass from Scales inside the County box and his drive on the spin deflected off Staggies defender Campbell and over Laidlaw.

Bernardo's 35th-minute goal came from good work by winger Daizen Maeda in getting to the byline again, cutting the ball back for Portuguese playmaker to curl the ball into the net at the second attempt after his first had been blocked.

McGregor then thrashed in a shot from 25 yards a minute later to make it 4-0 before Idah took a pass from McCowan, evaded a poor attempt at a tackle by Josh Nisbet and fired in a fifth from the edge of the box.

Only a fine save from Laidlaw prevented Valle from getting on the scoresheet with his long-distance effort but the under-fire County keeper had to go off just before the break after picking up an injury, replaced by Hamilton.

Celtic began pounding the County penalty area again after the break and in the 55th minute, Idah hit the woodwork with a header from a McCowan corner before Hamilton made a good block from Valle after he had slipped unnoticed into the box before thwarting Idah with a good save.

In the latter stages, Hoops substitute Greg Taylor, on for Valle, hit the post from close range with Hamilton then parrying a brilliant volley from Idah to prevent further pain.

'So good to watch'

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers speaking to Sky Sports News:

"It was a complete performance. I thought that the quality of our football was at a really high level, but it all came as a consequence of the hunger of the team.

"Our pressing, our counter-pressing was so good. You could see how we could smother the game, but then from that then, that allowed us the combinations to play. It was so good to watch.

"In the second half, we obviously didn't score, but that's more a credit to Ross County and their defender, the goalkeeper and the crossbar.

"We could have had more goals, but I was so pleased watching that because virtually about a year ago, we got booted off here against Ross County. We won the game 1-0 so to come out and play to that level 12 months later, I think it really tells you where the team and the mentalities are moving to.

"We all understand that it will be a squad game because you cannot play the same players all the time, hence the reason for making the changes today.

"The energy, the freshness, the mentality, the quality, everything was there."

'We couldn't live with them'

Ross County manager Don Cowie on Sky Sports News:

"We felt the full force of a really good Champions League team, who are holding their own in the Champions League and performing excellently domestically.

"There was a 15-minute spell in the first half where we couldn't live with them. We need to do better. We need to get through that spell, coming out in terms of not conceding as many as we did.

"But at the same time, it just shows you the quality that we're up against.

"The good thing for us in terms of the positive is that at 5-0 at half-time, it could have turned into anything.

"We rode our luck at times in the second half, which you need to do, but we managed to come away with a 5-0 defeat. So, credit to the players for that.

"As much as you don't want to lose football games and you want to give the best version of yourself every time you play, we're playing against a top-quality team, a team who's bringing on an £11m midfielder in the second half and that's where you've got to have a bit of context to it.

"But it doesn't mean that we enjoy losing."

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